Fibrous rubber material for use in the manufacture of waterproof sheeting, tubing, and the like.



. H. DEW.

. W F IBROUS RUBBER MATERIAL FOR USE N THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOFSHEETING,

TUBING, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3|. I914.

Pateni'edSept. 26, 1916.

Inventor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WALTER HENRY DEW, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FIBROUS RUBBER MATERIAL FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOFSHEETING, TUBING, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed August 31, 1914. Serial No. 859,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES IVAL'I'ER HENRY Dnw, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and residing at 8 Laurence Pountney Hill,Cannon street, in the county of London, England, have invented a certainnew and useful Fibrous Rubber Material for Use in the Manufacture ofWVaterproof Sheeting, Tubing, and the like, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to fibrous rubber material of the kind composedof layers of unwrought fibers laid parallel to one another and combinedand maintained in position by means of rubber or rubber-like substance.

The object of the present invention is to produce material of thisnature suitable for the manufacture of waterproof sheeting, hose pipe,tubing, pneumatic tire covers and the like which shall be free from thedisadvantages incident to the manufacture of such material and articlesas hitherto proposed, due to insutficient impregnation of the fibers,and the invention is distinguished -from the methods or processeshitherto adopted by building the article or material to be produced fromany suitable number of basic strips of fiber and rubber or rubber-likesubstances approximately of the thickness of a single fiber, it beingunderstood that the process of manufacture itself forms the subject ofmy co-pending applica tion Serial No. 739,404: from which the presentapplication is divided out.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure l is a perspective view on anenlarged scale showing a basic or elemental strip produced in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a series of basicor elemental'strips united together to form the fibrous rubber material.

In carrying my invention into effect I take suitable unwoven fibers aand after having cleaned and prepared them in any usual or desiredmanner I cause the fibers to be laid side by side in such a manner as tobe carried in the direction of their long axes so as to produce a strip5 of any desired width and approximately one fiber thick, and thesestrips I cause to be passed through a rubber solution or solution ofsynthetic rubber or rubber compounds or any rubber-like substance insuch a manner as to thoroughly impregnate and to entirely envelop eachindividual fiber in a thin covering of the rubber 0 or rubber-likesubstance. These strips may be made of any desired width and may be laidside by side in one direction until a sheet of required size isproduced, and for thicker or stronger sheets a double thickness withfibers laid at right angles to the former is used, or I might build upthe sheet from any number of strips or sheets, laying the fibers on thecross or in any suitable direction to produce the strength required.

I do not limit myself to any particular fiber or fibers whether selectedeither from the animal or vegetable kingdom, as I may employ rhea,ramie, flax, hemp, cotton or other fibers or camel or other suitablehair or wool according to varying practical requirements, but Ipreferably select such fibers as'are capable of resisting the action ofwater or weak acids. i

The sheeting produced in the above manner being absolutely waterproofand very thin and light is capable of being used for any purpose wherewaterproof sheeting is at present applicable, and appears to be entirelysuitable for tarpaulins, military ground bed sheets, wings for flyingmachines, waterproof garments,'hot water bottles, or for making up intoany of the numerous articles for which rubber sheeting is usuallyemployed. terial producedby this invention is also suitable for themanufacture of hose pipe, tubing, pneumatic tire covers and other likearticles.

I .do not desire to limit the application of my invention to anyparticular purpose for which my improved fibrous rubber material may beemployed, nor to any particular method of incorporating the fibers withthe rubber-like substance.

Having now described my invention What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1; A fabric composed of a sheet of unspunfibers approximately one fiber thick, impregnated and incorporated witha liquid adhesive so that the fibers are entirely surrounded by saidadhesive.

2. A fabric composed of a plurality of superimposed strips, each ofwhich is constructed from a sheet of unspun fibers ap- The fibrousrubber maproximately one fiber thick impregnated hesive so that thefibers are entirely surand incorporated with a liquid adhesive sorounded by said adhesive.

as to be entirely surrounded by said ad- In testimony whereof I havesigned my hesive. name to this specification in the presence of 3.Articles composed of fabric formed two subscribing Witnesses.

from a plurality of superimposed strips, JAMES WALTER HENRY DEW.

each of which consists of a sheet of unspun Witnesses:

fibers approximately one fiber thick impreg- WILLIAM BARTON,

nated and incorporated with a liquid ad- NM. 0. BROWN.

